San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-13

this country, because IL would cost the
American consumer less than the pro.
teoted article, that one naturally wond-
ers to fnd the opposite view prevailing
among his secretaries. That Secretary
Whitney does not share the views Of his
chief 10 quite evident from his report
just published, and from which the fol-
lowing Is an extract:
at was fatal mistake for this country to be
dependent upon any other nation for its i'm
elements of war. Aside from all questions VI
national dignity and pride, such implements
are contrsband in time of war, aud could
not then be produced from abroad, while the
time required 10 prepare plant would make
1t impossible 10 extempOrize mandatory
for the occasion, and yet without armor, ana
without higher-pOwGTed guns, IN the present
tate of the ART no respectable contest could
be carried on, and the country would be sub
stantially defen.el ess."
This declaration OF the secretary
places him squsrely upon protection
ground, for no one at all informed con-
corning the condition Of the iron and
steel trade at home and abroad during
the past twenty years but must know
hat this desirable condition could only
have been brought about under the
protection policy Of the republican
party; the policy which the message so
freely antsgonizes. Another Incidental
argument in favor OF the republican pro-
{. olive idea is given 10 the seOretary's
statemant that:
THE contracts for armor and gun steel are
made at prices within % per cent Of the Eu-
ropean price for the similar article, not
greater than the difference in labor between
the two countries, Notwithstanding the heavy
outlay for plant (esti mated at $500, 900 neccs-
sary to be- made to undertake the contract"
Does anyone suppose that an Amer
lean steel maker and gun manufacturer.
unprotected against the low wage labor
IT Europe, would ever have expended
u. 100000 in a steel gun plant? When
the department advertised for armOr and
yun.steel for ships of war, and stipulated
that the same should be OF domestic
manufacture, those who put in their
BIDS under these conditions naturally
supposed that Ii WAS the intention and
policy Of the government to protect It's
own steel makers from loss in the i'm
mense outlay necessary to perfect
plant for such work as
the government required. Can
the government now, having in
duced home manufacturers to engage in
this work, honorsbly leave them to COM
pete with the free iron OF Great Britain
and Germany and suffer loss thereby?
Whitney certainly does not seem 10
think so, and SO expresses himself direct
ly and unequivooslly. He says:
1.-THE department declined to make any pur-
chascs OF the Hotchkiss arms, previously
adopted for our secondary batteries, except
upon condition that Il mandatory was cs-
tablished in this country, and, By the accumu-
lation of orders, the induCemeut became in
time sufficient to secure the desired result
Take these statements OF Secretary
whitney; take them in connection with
his evident satisfaction at the result OF
this policy in securing an American
plant; take them also in connection
with his graduation over the character
OF the machinery employed and the
workmanship shown, and they only can
show one thing-prOteCtiOn to AmerI-
can industry as the one policy by
which the results he so much
desires could be obtained. There: is
but one thing more to be said The pol
10y under which this 60 ditiOn did
arise, and without which it could have
no existence, Is naturally and necessari-
ly the policy under which 1t will reach
Its best results. American competition
will give as low prices as Is consistent
with the good OF labor and the improve
ment of the condition of the American
IabOrer. The whole report of Secretary
whitney shows this, and it also shows
that the presidential free trade theories
are practically vetoed by the protection
practice of the government; and, that
this practical result is approved OF those
under whom it has been evoked, as an
escape from what would otherwise have
been a fatal mistake. How long can
government thus divided against itself
stand?